The retail petroleum industry utilizes various types of fuel dispensers for dispensing fuel to customers. Often, security of the fuel dispensers is a concern for dispenser manufacturers, retail fuel providers, and customers alike. Security can encompass many different aspects of the fuel dispenser. For example, retail fuel providers may be concerned with the physical security of the fuel dispenser. Damage to or theft of the fuel dispenser may represent a large, unforeseen cost to the provider, and further, may reduce its business revenue due to customer skepticism of the overall security of the provider's property. Fuel dispenser manufacturers may be concerned with the security of proprietary equipment, devices, or software encompassed within the fuel dispenser. For instance, manufacturers may not be able to guarantee the security of information stored within or transmitted through the fuel dispenser should the proprietary equipment or software be compromised in any way. Any loss of proprietary or confidential equipment or software may severely limit the fuel dispenser manufacturer's ability to expand its business or obtain any regulatory approvals required for fuel dispensers. Customers may be concerned with several fuel dispenser security issues. For example, customers may be concerned with a possible loss of personal information, such as credit or debit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PIN), or other personal information. Customers may also be concerned that they are correctly charged for the amount of fuel or other retail services which they purchase at the fuel dispenser.
Based, at least in part, on these concerns, fuel dispensers may often include devices, hardware, and/or software, which help alleviate or prevent altogether the causes of these concerns. Solutions may include an upgrade to the physical structure of the fuel dispenser, such that it is less likely to become damaged or stolen. Furthermore, the fuel dispenser may periodically receive upgrades to one or more portions of software, hardware, and/or firmware residing, on the fuel dispenser, which may increase the security of any proprietary or personal information stored within or transmitted through the fuel dispenser. In some instances, however, an upgrade to one or more components of the fuel dispenser, such as software, hardware, or firmware, may impact other components of a fuel dispensing retail environment, such as, a retail point-of-sale (POS) device or system.